RE: An answer to a question by Roused
Thanks for including me in the post - now I feel flattered, too :-) This post is a real gem and pretty much sums up, what I'm experiencing when creating art. Especially what you say about seeking for inspiration from outside:
you need input, and that to be able to work seamlessly you need to balance your life with other things than just writing, drawing or playing.
I also use the method of emptying my mind:
Try to think of nothing - if you are successful your head will start flashing strange image associations
And train my pattern recognition skills:
Seeing images in random phenomenon like clouds, walls or ivy sculptures is an old game in which I am very trained.
I can totally understand, that it might look like magic for @roused, and it might sound a bit pathetic, but sometimes I do feel more like a medium of some sort than like an conscious creator.
But the more I'm able to put my ego behind, the clearer the vision takes shape.
Thanks so much for the insightful answer to my question. This is a fascinating subject for me. I've had the privilege of asking several of my musical heroes questions along these lines. Their "chops" or "skill sets" are often described as their "toolbox." It's about getting to a level where you have the technical proficiency to play the inspiration you are channeling. The clip you shared from Round Midnight is reminiscent of what I have heard. For example, this is from Barbara Dennerlein:
Check her out when she is deep in an improvised solo.
So it was fascinating to read about this from the perspective of a painter and graphic artist. When I get some time I think I'll pull some quotes from various interviews and write a piece along these lines.
Excellent post @katharsisdrill and thanks also to @shortcut for his great insights!
Yes, it's pretty much about "set and forget", learning as much as you can about the techniques and then "forgetting" everything you've learned to express yourself in your own unique way.
That's a great idea and I think it would be awesome to provide such an post with more examples like the amazing solo of Barbara Dennerlein.
Expressed very well, that is indeed the essence of it. I think Barbara is so amazing -- fantastic chops and her phrasing, expression and choices are phenomenal.
Crazy foot-work!
I think that pushing yourself into the necessary work without breaking is difficult for many artists. Barbara Dennerlein plays as effortless as she sounds when describing this process, it's beautiful and intense. But to many it can very often be a very rocky road. I think I am very much of the same sentiment as her, not at all as clear and devoted to one instrument (so to say), but I have this ability to forget myself in the work and just walk the road (which is probably why I have worked like a madman while I was ill). It has it's own peace. Sometimes it can be beautiful, sometimes addictive and destructive. When I hear the part where Dex talks about dreaming music, I hear the pain... But that is maybe a whole other discussion.
Someday you have to bring @shortcut to Copenhagen and I will have a bottle of whiskey ready so we can discuss it at length. I look forward to your post about this - I love hearing other artists ideas bout such things...
I just posted a sequel because I was asked some all to clever questions on Diaspora, my other social media.
I saw your other post before I saw this one, sorry again about my flippant answer.
Four months ago, before we were on each other's radar, I did a series of posts about music in our genes.
One looked at the 10,000 Hour theory of Malcolm Gladwell. Basically, one's natural abilities play a much more significant role that what M.G. claims (according to the researchers upon whom M.G. based his theory.) You might find it interesting.
https://steemit.com/music/@roused/what-do-great-musicians-have-in-common-music-in-our-genes
Another post looked at 3 musicians I've interviewed who are tremendously talented, who shared insights into when they first noticed it. Barbara was one of the musicians -- she told me that she reached a level of talent at about 80% of her potential very quickly, she said the really difficult part is mining that final 20%. Even as amazing as she is, the is still dedicated and practices. If you want to check it out:
https://steemit.com/music/@roused/music-in-our-genes
It's true so many artists are consumed by their passion for their art, it must be a blessing and a curse -- I guess the key is to ride that wild stallion of inspiration and drive ;-) One of my favorite living guitarists is Jimmy Herring, for decades he's been on the road for 250 to over 300 nights a year. But when the gig is over, he practices in his hotel room. Last year his wife sent me a photo of the total eclipse they had in the US. She mentioned that was one of the few things that got him to leave the basement and stop practicing. He is insanely good, check out this solo from about 3:30 to 4:45
There is a lot of complex psychological reasons why such an innocent thing as art can go all the way to hell for an artist. Heroin is only the symptom. I have known a person who were andaimable family doctor and ended up committing suicide, so of course it isn't just about art. But there are an overweight among artists , even just among people I know and have have known.
I will check out the gene stuff when my mind is not racing along 50 different tracks at the same time :)
And what a wife he has, Herring :) You linked to some of his music before so I had a day where I listened. Great musician!
Haha, yes! You really use this method in a lot of your art! I also do it when making Phill, actually. I look in the pencil lines for better ways of making a face or doing the composition.
I wouldn't have expected you using the technique when creating Phill, because the comic is so sophisticated and well designed. For me it would really be hard to do something like that, because my main characters would look completely different on every single page ;-)
:) hahaha - Phill is never quite himself.
your words are full of meaning, your ideas are so brilliant, your words have been my inspiration in many ways, thank you very much @shortcut
Please don't overdo it, or it seems implausible.